Chapter 155 Meeting with Cui Yuan

The New Year holiday of the government agencies in the Tang Dynasty is usually on the fifth day of the first lunar month to the fifth day of the first lunar month, but this is only for ordinary low-rank officials who do things. For important officials in the Tang Dynasty who hold the decision-making power, this holiday is meaningless. Cui Yuan came to the Secretariat of the Daming Palace from the third day of the first lunar month to handle government affairs. Although various decisions related to national economy and people's livelihood and important personnel changes will not be issued until April, at the beginning of the new year, various affairs are still coming one after another. Congratulations from foreign envoys, reports of local officials, preparations for the New Year's dynasty, etc. are all his affairs, especially the New Year's dynasty. This is the first time since the New Year's dynasty, and the importance is self-evident. The New Year's dynasty is about to be held on the seventh day of the first lunar month. At that time, the New Year's dynasty and the Empress Dowager will accept worship from officials above the fifth rank from all over the Tang Dynasty. Cui Yuan has been preparing for this matter since the end of last year. As the Great Day is approaching, he is busier.

Today is the fourth day of the first lunar month. Cui Yuan took a break from his busy schedule and came to the farmhouse near the Daming Palace with Wang Ang, the Minister of Works, to drink some drinks. Cui Yuan also had some land when he was advising farmhouses. He occasionally went to the fields to cultivate them himself, but it was not for any interest, but for the purpose of persuading farmhouses. This was the first national policy of the Tang Dynasty. As the right prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, his farming in the fields undoubtedly had a positive guiding role.

At this moment, the right prime minister of the Tang Dynasty was standing in front of the window on the third floor of the Congnation Rural Residence, watching several important officials working in their respective fields. His eyes stopped for a long time on Jiang Huan, the Minister of Rural Affairs. The Minister of Rural Affairs turned out to be Xiao Hua. In April last year, Xiao Hua was replaced by the position of Minister of Rural Affairs Jiang Huan, the former Minister of Rural Affairs, and Jiang Huan was promoted by Zhang Ruohao. Jiang Huan was promoted by Zhang Ruohao. He had been in the Ministry of Rural Affairs for ten years and held the real power of the Ministry of Rural Affairs. It was his existence that undermined the power of the current Minister of Rural Affairs Lu Qi. After Zhang Ruohao's death last year, Jiang Huan became the object of competition among various families. Cui Yuan also spent a lot of money and promised to promote his younger brother Jiang Yi to the governor of Wu County, hoping to bring him under his own position. Unexpectedly, he ended up with the Wei family, which was beyond Cui Yuan's expectations.

Among the seven cabinet members of the Tang Dynasty, the actual positions held by them do not necessarily match the power they control. In addition to Zhang Ruohao, the other five departments were divided by Cui and Pei. Cui Yuan was in charge of the three ministries of the Ministry of Justice, and Pei Jun controlled the household and the two ministries of the Ministry of Works. Most of the other major power leaders, including the Five Supervisors of the Nine Temples and the Censorate, and most of them surrendered to Cui and Pei.

In addition to the new Minister of Rites Lu Qi, the other four families have a certain local strength. Only Wei Yan is in Shaofu Temple, Chu Xingshui has some power in Taifu Temple and Salt and Iron Supervisor.

Now Wei Yan actually put his hand into the Ministry of Rites. Even if Pei Jun could tolerate it, Cui Yuan could not tolerate it. Cui Yuan gently stroked his beard and his eyes slowly narrowed. Since Jiang Huan could not be used by him, he had to find a way to kill him. In any case, the Ministry of Rites could not let Wei Yan take it.

Next to Cui Yuan, another person was sitting, namely Wang Ang, the Minister of Works, and the head of the Wang family in Shannan. He returned to Xiangyang at the end of the year to worship his ancestors, and then rushed back to Chang'an on the second day of the first lunar month. Last year, it was also a year when his mood changed greatly. From great joy to great sorrow, the Wang family's ancestral land was also Hedong. Since the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Wang family has been planning to return to Hedong and has been planning for more than 20 years. Finally, Zhang Ruohao died of illness last year, and the opportunity appeared in front of him. When Wang Ang was about to shout for joy, the situation suddenly changed. Cui Pei and his family sent troops to divide Hedong. Wang Yanluo fled back to Xiangyang, which completely failed to make the Wang family's hope of returning to their ancestral land. Cui Yuan betrayed his promise to him back then.

Just when Wang Ang was extremely disappointed with Cui Yuan, Cui Yuan suddenly told him that he was willing to betroth his only daughter to his eldest son Wang Yan as his wife, and at the same time, he made Wang Yan the Wailang, the disciple of the Ministry of Justice. Wang Ang knew that this was a kind of compensation Cui Yuan had for him. Although this compensation was insignificant compared to Hedong, it was always better than nothing. Moreover, after the marriage between Cui and Wang families, the future of the Wang family would be bright.

Wang Ang was thinking when he suddenly saw a guard poking his head at the door, "What's the matter?" He couldn't help but ask with a deep face.

"Report to the Minister of State, Liangzhou Governor Zhang Huan is asking for a visit outside the door!"

"Let him come in!" Before Wang Ang's answer, Cui Yuan slowly turned around. He had seen Zhang Huan just now.

Cui Yuan received a letter from the Fengxiang defender's Feige the day before yesterday. He learned that Zhang Huan had entered Guanzhong. Cui Yuan was very conflicted about Zhang Huan. He hoped that Zhang Huan would cause trouble in Longyou, weaken the Wei family, and create conditions for him to eventually defeat the Wei family. At the same time, he also hoped that Zhang Huan's rise would be suppressed and would not become a threat to the aristocratic family's government. For this reason, he specially sent his clan brother Cui Yu to visit Pei Jun's brother Pei You, implicitly conveying his opinions. The drums should not be heavy. With Pei Jun's mind, it should be easy to understand.

Soon, Zhang Huan was led in by the guards, and he stepped forward and bowed deeply and said, "Zhang Huan, the governor of Wuwei County, met with Prime Minister Cui, and met with Shangshu Wang!"

"Does Governor Zhang also want to farm in Chang'an?" Cui Yuan smiled teasingly and ordered the guards to say, "Addor Zhang a seat."

"Thank you, Prime Minister!"

At this time, Wang Ang next to him saw that Zhang Huan had no intention of refusing, and his face suddenly became gloomy. Not to mention that he hated Zhang Huan deeply, even an ordinary official, how could he be on an equal footing with the Prime Minister? He felt even more unhappy when he saw the guards spread the cushion directly opposite him. However, Wang Ang also knew that dissatisfaction could only be placed on his face at most, not on his lips. Since the Prime Minister asked him to sit down, what was his objection?

Wang Ang smiled and stood up and said, "Since the Prime Minister has an explanation to the Prime Minister Zhang, I won't disturb you. There are still some things in the room, so I'll take a step first."

Cui Yuan glanced at Zhang Huan and said to Wang Ang meaningfully: "Okay, you go first! We have to restrain Wang Yan these two days, and a good day is coming, but don't have to happen in the last few days?"

"Please rest assured, Prime Minister, I will naturally send more people and will never let the villain succeed!" Wang Ang snorted softly at Zhang Huan and left, but his humming was not for his son, but because Zhang Huan wanted to be on an equal footing with him.

"The Prime Minister seems to be quite dissatisfied with Zhang Huan."

Zhang Huan turned a blind eye to Wang Ang’s warning, he sat down, smiled at Cui Yuan and said, “Is it even more dissatisfied with Minister Jiang?”

Cui Yuan couldn't help but be stunned. He secretly exclaimed in his heart. This guy's eyes were so poisonous. He smiled, "The prime minister can hold a boat in his stomach. How could he have so many dissatisfactions? Otherwise, he would have been exhausted. Governor Zhang would not be able to guess, so he would be fined three drinks first!"

"Yes! That's a pity." Zhang Huan picked up the wine glass and smiled faintly: "I originally wanted to help the Prime Minister, so it was Zhang Huan Menglang."

After saying that, he drank three drinks in a row, then stood up and bowed to Cui Yuanshen, "The prime minister is busy every day, time is precious, so my subordinates will not disturb you."

Cui Yuan didn't say a word. When Zhang Huan left, he sat down slowly, lowered his head and fell into deep thought.

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Zhang Huan did not go to Jingniang again, but directly took his personal soldiers to Yongjiafang. He had a house in Yongjiafang, the one that Pei Jun gave him with Chu Mingyuan. Now Li Mi, who was left in the capital, and several other staff members lived.

Along the way, Zhang Huan saw a porridge sanctuary set up in front of the house. The shed was filled with Chang'an beggars coming and receiving porridge. People came and went, and it was very lively. In the open space next to the greenhouse, a tall middle-aged man was treating some sick beggars. The more Zhang Huan moved forward, the more he felt that the man's back looked very familiar. He suddenly recognized that it was his master Lin Delong.

More than a dozen horses came running, and some beggars squatting on the street drinking porridge dodged to both sides. At this time, an old Taoist walked out of the porridge shed. He recognized Zhang Huan at a glance and laughed unconsciously. He was Li Mi.

"Will the donor come to get the porridge?" Li Mi waited for Zhang Huan to get off the horse, and then came forward and laughed jokingly.

"If Master Li still has surplus grain, you might as well go to Hexi to prepare porridge, where the pot will be almost unopened."

When Li Mi heard his interesting words, he couldn't help but smile and said, "When your report is over, I will carry a bag of rice and go back with you."

"I will follow you too." Lin Delong walked over slowly. He patted Li Mi's thin shoulder and smiled: "Master Li can't carry much. I can help carry a few more bags, and by the way, you can find a military doctor in the Xiliang army."

Looking at the sincere smiles of the two, Zhang Huan's hearts felt warm. He smiled and asked Lin Delong, "Didn't the master return to Shu County to take his grandson? Why did he return to Chang'an again?"

Lin Delong blinked and smiled, "But your teacher's wife thinks her son is more important, so she forced me to take my son to Beijing for the exam. She was afraid that she would cause some big trouble again, just like last year."

Zhang Huan remembered the situation last year and felt a little apologized. Lin Delong patted his shoulder and laughed and said, "Actually, it's just a joke to you. Your teacher's wife wants to share your favor and ask me to come and make a comeback first. If Wuwei County is good, our whole family will move there. Alas! I thought it was good to go back to my hometown, but the human relationship is warm and warm! My hometown is really not as good as Taiyuan."

Zhang Huan was overjoyed and quickly smiled, "It would be better for the master to go back to Taiyuan again, and call for your name, Doctor Lin, and move thousands of households to Wuwei County, and I will be even happier."

Next, Lin Delong continued to see his patient, while Zhang Huan quickly walked into the mansion, and he hadn't eaten lunch yet!

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"You mean, Pei Jun advocates you to take Hehuang first?" Li Mi walked around the room with his hands behind his back, thinking carefully about the causes and consequences of this matter. From a strategic perspective, taking Hehuang can occupy a large area of ​​fertile land and lay a solid foundation for the next step of development. It is indeed the best choice. But the question is, will the Wei family remain indifferent? Xiping County in Hehuang have always been the location of Longyou Jiedu Prefecture and was once the largest city in the Helong area. If Zhang Huan really takes over the Hehuang area, then the conflict with his Wei family will inevitably break out.

Perhaps this is Pei Jun's real purpose, so that Zhang Huan could restrain the Wei family's troops south of Longyou, and he could send troops to cross the Yellow River and occupy the northern part of Longyou by mediating the dispute between the two families. This should be the case.

Thinking of this, he raised his head and asked Zhang Huan, "Pei Junzhi was sinister, have you ever thought of it?"

While eating, Zhang Huan smiled and said, "They gave me my most precious daughter and wanted to transport food and strategic materials to Hexi every year. It really helped me, but it was not beneficial to him. How could there be such a cheap thing in the world? Of course, he had his own considerations. He just wanted to get a piece of the pie in Longyou, and not to seize food in my bowl. What am I worried about?"

He scattered the last two bites of rice in the bowl in a few seconds, put the bowl and asked, "Where are Han Yu and the others? Why don't you see anyone?"

Li Mi did not hear Zhang Huan's question. He was still thinking. In fact, Pei Jun sent troops to occupy Shuofang, which was not completely unhealthy. At least he could make Wei Yan unable to take into account both the beginning and the end, and finally share some of Zhang Huan's pressure, which could give Zhang Huan time to slowly digest the Hehuang region. Zhang Huan's strategic goal is not Longyou, but to develop westward. Longyou will not be considered for at least ten years. In this way, there will be no conflict of interest between him and Pei Jun for the time being. The most important thing is that Zhang Huan will be able to get Pei Jun's full support in the next three years, which is extremely important.

"But what about Cui Yuan! Will he be indifferent? You must not ignore him. If you underestimate him, you will inevitably fail in his hands in the end." Li Mi was worried that Zhang Huan would forget this person, and added.

Zhang Huan had already put on his clothes. When he heard him talking about Cui Yuan, he smiled and said, "For Cui Yuan, we only need to do one thing, that is, to eliminate his reconciliation with the Wei family in the bud, to keep him neutral, and to wait for opportunities in my rise, which is enough."

After putting on his clothes, he asked again: "Where is Han Yu? Are you not in the mansion?"

"He went to the Imperial College. I heard that Chu Xingshui valued him very much and wanted to keep him in the Imperial College for teaching."

"Chu Xingshui?" Zhang Huan was slightly stunned. He immediately realized that Han Yu was from the Guangling Academy of the Chu family? It is normal for Chu Xingshui to value him.

"What about his own attitude? Does he want to stay?" Zhang Huan didn't want to force Han Yu. After all, Hexi is remote and difficult. If he wants to stay in Beijing, he will let him. Staying in the Imperial College can also recommend some talents to come to him, which may not be a bad thing.

Li Mi shook his head, "I don't know what he thought, but he is keen on studying, and serving in the Imperial College has always been his long-cherished wish."
Chapter completed!